Chelsea Start Season Humbly, Held To Goalless Draw By Crystal Palace

 

Eberechi Eze scored the only goal of the game between Chelsea and Palace, but it was canceled by VAR for a foul on an opponent

What a disappointing start to the season it was for Chelsea after a goalless draw against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, with the visitors having their only goal from a free-kick ruled out for an infringement.

Palace remained a resolute side and tough since their impressive run through last season, during which they won the FA Cup and followed up by winning the Community Shield by defeating Liverpool at Wembley Stadium last weekend. 

Chelsea suffered a scare when Palace moved ahead with Eberechi Eze's sublime free-kick, which beat Sanchez to the goal. Unfortunately for the visitors, Ghehi infringed on an opponent before the ball took flight. 

It was evident that Palace have improved and are a better side than they once were. Even as Chelsea were at home and with a highly rated player than theirs, they were able to contain the Blues' aggression. Palace played defensively, though they had fair chances they could have made the most of. 

The Palace were not perfect, either. After a promising first half, they began to lose control in midfield, prompting the introduction of Lerma. But they remained resilient, closing space quickly and defending crosses with authority.

Chelsea's debutant had a difficult opening matchday. They could hardly penetrate their opponents' box and keep them off going on the counter, which, of course, was futile for Palace. Among the few chances that Chelsea had was Estavao's, with Cole Palmer squeezing to him, a cut-back through a crowded box, but having to make multiple touches ended up in kicking the ball out of touch.

Maresca’s Chelsea remains a riddle. With highly rated players such as Palmer, James, Pedro, and Enzo Fernandez, cohesion was still lacking. The midfield trio, while individually skilled, still lacks balance and defined roles. Palmer and James showed glimpses of quality, but Chelsea failed to sustain pressure or generate consistent threat in the final third.